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Dragons
Dragons are divided into three major classifications, not counting Daine Wurms and other fringe cases. These major three are Beast Dragons, Wyverns, and Woven. Beast Dragons: Beast dragons are enormously varied; filling every ecological niche that mammals or birds might: from the mighty Tyrants and Tuskers at the top of the chain, to packs of Devil Dogs or Raptors, to miniature Raptacks or herded Tsinato. They are usually called Beasts because of their lack of other traditional draconic traits, such as flight, flame-production glands, or ties to magic. They do still possess scales over much of their bodies, as well as the same bloodlines, vulnerabilities, and characteristic toughness. Devil Dogs- Large, vaguely Canid beast dragons that hunt in pairs and packs, and tend to use their inward-curving teeth to latch on and trip or tear their prey to the ground. Natural. Tuskers- Free Kingdoms' rare beast dragon. They are enormous, starting at the size of a wagon and growing to 30 feet tall--or more. They're named for the enormous hog or mammoth like tusks they use against predators. Found in small herds, they're extremely aggressive, and as omnivores, will eat as needed-- including humans. Trihorns- Large Beast Dragons with three horns and a frill poking from the front, somewhat like a bull. Often used as beasts of draft or burden, due to their powerful builds. Raptors- Small, sturdy bipedal dragons some two and a half times as long as they are tall. Often quite speedy, larger raptors can be used as light mounts, and specially bred "Draft raptors" or "Draptors" as they're called, can even carry cargo atop. Not quite as domesticated as horses, Raptors are more often used as status symbols or by war parties. Tsinato or Unicorns- Quadripedal pack animals, much like horses, with beaks and a single bone in the middle of their skull. No one knows what the horn does, as it cannot be used for mating or fighting, as with antlers. It is observed to be occasionally useful in defense, however. Meshipesh- an Untamed (Islander) dragon that lives in shallow waters and drowns its prey, much like a crocodile. It is longer, however, with softer skin and retracting spines. Raptack- A tiny, quadrapedal dragon whose half fur-half scale body is colored in dull greens and browns, to blend into the earth. They live as foragers and diggers, much like mice or moles, and are relatively unimportant. Tyrant- Enormous bidepal dragons with heavy, blocky heads, who hunt in singles or couples across the wilds of the northern deserts. They can be trained, but doing so requires the will to be broken as a draca, literally beaten out of them by a trainer called a Ringer. Lights Out- A small, hopping dragon of the Untamed Forest whose main defense is their incredibly dangerous skin, which is poisonous when it touches liquids. They typically hide in or near water to pull in victims and then let them die, before eating as much of the kill as they can before someone else takes over. Used as safe poison coating for blades. Wyverns: Wyverns are the most regular class of dragons, being defined by strong musculature, carnivorous diet, and flight-capable wings. This narrow definition, in addition to their ability to spread, leads to fewer unique species, though there are frequent adaptions to environment. They are still quite colorful, and their straightforward intelligence leads them to be trained for service far more often than other types. Psuidragons- Small, cat sized flighted wyverns from the Nobahtu plains with wide wings. Their wings are actually often used as preservative or cooling because they push away heat as part of their gliding process. This conduction often serves to boost them up, and forms smaller, miniature thermals for them to float on, even hovering in place while waiting for small birds or insects. Windrunners- A FK wyvern subspecies. Known for being lighter and slicked-back, they typically don't like riders, and will try to slash wth their more agile wing claws. Nevertheless, Realmhold's knights-errant and jousting leagues find many knights fielding windrunners due to their stopping and turning power. Draen- Semi-mythical Free Kingdoms mountain-dweller. In the few sightings of Draen, they are seen in caves, with their large bodies filling them during daytime. More active during the night, Draen swoop with their short, squat, bat-like bodies and wings to terrorize livestock. Their typical diet is largely of the blood--they seem to have powerful suction, and are capable of exsanguinating their prey. Roc- The Roc or Rawk is a strange, terrifying bird of the Ysubor mountains. It preys upon all, but is hard to bring down due to its heavy-set body and internal systems designed for multiple failures. It cannot properly fly due to its bulk, instead opting to climb cliffs or mountains and leap for a long, slow, air-current-assisted glide. Woven: Woven are a diverse set, defined only by their connection to souls and the weave. Some interact in unusual ways with people, others are able to cast or use magic, and others still are able to think and speak with great intelligence. Albub Mewls- Small, cat-like dragons that crawl everywhere. Their most identifying feature is wide-spreading fan-like fins in bright colors; that and their ability to amplify emotions of creatures around them. They tend to feed off of powerful emotions such as hatred, lust, and the like, often hanging around whorehouses and dungeons. Minor Dragons- Minor Dragons are the closest to human a dragon can be. These small, cat-sized dragons with heavy, full-body scales, are usually brightly colored and bond easily to humans. They cannot speak, due to draconic throats being underdeveloped, but they can think in full sentences, calculate, and are otherwise very close to sentience. Their bond even allows them to leech from their humans' Fate and cast spells of their own, that their master might not know. They are heavily favored by the Dabun, who use them as research partners. Dracogriffs- Small flightless but furred dragons with average intelligence. Used by the Dabun as close pets and bonds, to replace the need for human comfort. Their personalities vary somewhat, but they do tend to be energetic and mischievous, and unable to hold attention to one task for very long. They are difficult to train, but are very open to psychic bonds, leading many wizards to bond with them. Sea Serpents- A less intimidating cousin to the Spirit Dragon, sea serpents are extremely intelligent. Most speak all of the languages in Jurmangaard, and frequently love questioning, riddling, or bantering with those they meet. Feared by sailors for their capricious and uncaring temperaments, they are nonetheless relatively straightforward. Lying doesn't seem to be a part of sea serpent "culture" if any such exists, though they delight in bending straightforward truth. Great Dragons. Average intelligence. Their great power is their enormity, as well as their ability to spew clinging, unquenchable fire. The scientific explanation is that they open a set of flaps or gills in their neck, which filters air to add raw hydrogen to a pouch, next to another filled with Greek Fire-like chemicals. Then, the built up pressure of the air is released as the mouth opens, mixing and pushing out in a long stream. This chemical conception ignites, hangs on whatever it touches, and burns until it is entirely spent, usually hours later. Other Jurmangaard is a diverse place, full of edge cases and oddities. The most common of those are the Spirit Dragons, which appear as their brethren, but do not operate in the same way. They have no children, do not grow, and otherwise conform to no rules of dragonkind. '' Spirit Dragons-''Known as the "Outer Class" of dragons, the thirteen Spirit Dragons known to man are believed to be the most powerful entities in all of Jurmangaard. They possess the ability to command dragons and magic at will. Their mountaintop homes, rising out of plain earth or island rocks, were built for them by the obedient Daine Wurms. These formed the enormous bulk complete with tunnels, housing, and even amphitheaters for the human servants. Each of the Spirit Dragons is unique, with a culture of Anrudha built around them, and so an encounter with them is unique. They are believed to have some form of non-physical communication, similar to a Sending or a Message spell, as they claim to speak to each other, despite the fact that they do not ever leave their mountains. Daine Wurms- Enormous earthworms, a dozen fathoms long or longer, with huge, grinding maws, that are found throughout the world. Most commonly they surround and protect the Spirit Mountains of their masters, the Spirit Dragons, though they can be found elsewhere, such as the salt flats of Talisi.